A mobile device with a first transceiver, a second transceiver, one or more processors, and memory bridges communications between an offline retail machine with a short-range communication capability and a remote server by obtaining via the first transceiver a single-use request code from an information packet broadcast by the offline retail machine; transmitting via the second transceiver the single-use request code to a remote server; obtaining via the second transceiver from the remote server a grant token including the single-use request code; detecting a trigger condition for initiating provision of a product or service by the offline retail machine; and in response to detecting the trigger condition, initiating performance of the provision of the product or service by transmitting the grant token to the offline retail machine via the first transceiver.

The method for product selection comprises the steps of selecting a product among a plurality of options of different products, said selection being carried out by remotely signaling a label that represents the selected product; checking that no other selection has been detected; checking that the detected selection lasts longer than a predetermined period of time or more than a predetermined electromagnetic field strength; and dispensing the selected product if it has been verified that no other selection has been detected and if it has been verified that the selection lasts longer than said predetermined period of time and less than the predetermined electromagnetic field strength, or canceling the selection of the product if another selection has been detected or the detected selection lasts less than said predetermined period of time or is greater than the predetermined electromagnetic field strength.

Systems and methods for beverage dispensing are disclosed herein. The beverage dispensing system can receive a connection request to pair a mobile computing device with a beverage dispensing device via a network. The connection request can include an identifier that can be verified to match a current identifier associated with the beverage dispensing device. The beverage dispensing system can generate a session between the mobile computing device and the beverage dispensing device that replicates a user interface of the beverage dispensing device on the mobile computing device. The beverage dispensing system can receive inputs from the mobile computing device during the session to obtain configuration parameters for a beverage and dispense the beverage from a nozzle based on the configuration parameters.

A footwear apparatus, comprising receptacles, having a mechanism that automatically removes and replaces interchangeable sole footwear parts; an automatic complete new sole dispenser; an automatic new sole heel dispenser; a complete old sole recycling automatic ejection component; an old sole heel dispenser automatic ejection component; a computer-implemented method for serving footwear and footwear soles to consumers from a vending machine; a computer-implemented foot scanning device, wherein said apparatus is comprised of a configuration to automatically replace the sole or partial sole of a pair or pairs of footwear.

A system and associated method are provided for maintenance of a plurality of washroom facilities by maintenance personnel, wherein each of the washroom facilities has one or more consumable product dispensers that require periodic refill. For each of the washroom facilities, the product dispensers are configured with a sensor that detects a product level or amount condition of the product dispenser, the sensors in communication with a monitoring station assigned to the washroom facility. A set of instructions unique to each of the washroom facilities is generated based upon the detected product level or amount conditions of the dispensers in the respective washroom facility, the set of instructions including instructions as to the amount of product refill to be added to the dispensers. With an identification (ID) system configured within each washroom facility, maintenance personnel that enter the washroom facility are identified and provided with the unique set of instructions in a message via a mobile smart device carried by the maintenance personnel or an audio or visual display device within the washroom facility.

A method and apparatus for parking lot metering. The present invention allows multi-space meters to separately manage and control premium parking spaces, such as those for charging electric vehicles or those which supply electric power for engine block heaters in both pay-by-space and pay-an-display systems. Such premium spaces can be managed together over large areas (e.g., a city or region), or may be managed over smaller areas (e.g., the domain of an individual kiosk), or individually per parking space. Management includes pricing, time limits, hours, seasons of operation, and restrictions by vehicle type, and alternative pricing and restrictions for non-premium hours.

A method includes causing a computer of a communication terminal to perform a process including acquiring, in response to receipt of a beacon signal from a vending machine, identification information of the vending machine and type information of drinks in the vending machine from the vending machine; transmitting a user ID of a user of the communication terminal to a first server that securely manages personal information including preference information on drinks of the user; acquiring from the first server, the preference information of the user corresponding to the user ID; acquiring weather information of a current location of the communication terminal; generating, based on the acquired pieces of information, a push notification screen that recommends at least one drink that matches a preference of the user indicated by the preference information in relation to weather indicated by the weather information; and displaying the push notification screen.

In some implementations, a transaction device may include a display screen, at least one photosensitive sensor configured to detect a luminance of a viewing surface of the display screen, and one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to monitor an output of the at least one photosensitive sensor, determine that the output is indicative of an obstruction on the display screen based on the output indicating a change to the luminance of the viewing surface of the display screen, and disable one or more operations of the transaction device based on determining that the output is indicative of the obstruction on the display screen.

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from a user computing device associated with a user for one or more items from an in-vehicle vending apparatus during a ride. The method also includes sending information associated with the user to start a vending session using the in-vehicle vending apparatus. The method also includes receiving an indication that the user associated with the user computer device accessed the in-vehicle vending apparatus. The method also includes determining that the user associated with the user computing device is the only user associated with the ride, determining that the user associated with the user computing device is one of a plurality of users associated with the ride, or determining that the user associated with the user computing device is associated with the in-vehicle vending apparatus.

An individual-specific cosmetics manufacturing selling machine includes a housing, a raw material supply part provided inside the housing and configured to supply liquid cosmetic raw materials, a container supply part configured to supply a cosmetic container, a raw material injection part configured to inject the raw materials into the container, an articulated robot configured to pick up the container from the container supply part and place the container at a predetermined position, a stirrer configured to stir the raw materials injected into the container, and a cosmetics outlet configured to discharge a manufactured cosmetics to the outside of the housing. Also provided is a cosmetics manufacturing selling method using the individual-specific cosmetics manufacturing selling machine.